Health Services Boards will make positive difference: AMA (WA)

Health Services Boards will make positive difference: AMA (WA)

Thursday 6 October 2016

The Health Services Boards established to oversee WA health will be an important part in seeking ways to fix our health system, currently under severe strain, the Australian Medical Association (WA) said today.

“The five boards recently established by the WA Government are an investment in expertise and will provide much-needed leadership and accountability in a tough time for public health services,” AMA (WA) President Dr Andrew Miller said.

“We hope the new Boards will take on the task of improving the major cultural and efficiency issues that currently exist in the WA health system. How can we have spent so much money and still lag far behind other states in some important measures of patient care?”

“The Boards however are a positive move and the costs involved in their establishment and running will soon be found in efficiencies and initiatives they will recommend.”

“It is appropriate that some of the best and brightest medical minds in the State have been appointed to the boards, rather than people with no experience in medicine or patient care. They will be recommending and overseeing actions to make positive changes to our health system.

“Only doctors have the experience necessary in many of these areas.”

“The AMA (WA) looks forward to working with the new Boards and hearing their views and proposals,” he said.

However, Dr Miller added that the legislation passed to establish the boards is not ideal, citing restrictions in place that make the boards unable to air their grievances or ideas publicly.

“The Boards must be granted complete independence to speak freely and to suggest solutions to the challenges currently faced by health without secrecy restrictions” Dr Miller said.

“At times this government is more spin than substance and their tendency to secrecy needs to be called out for what it is: keeping truth from the public that pay the bills and their salaries,” he said.

"It is my hope that we can tackle the challenges our profession faces, united as one. If we dislike our working hours, our pay, gender inequality or low training opportunities, we can change these together. As a nurse in my previous life, I know that when a profession stands as one, people listen."

Dr Rebecca Cogan

Blog

Sexual health the focus for Dr YES trip

Monday, 21st January 2019

Following a hectic 12 months, Dr YES farewelled 2018 with its annual end-of-year rural trip to the South West. Over five days, a team of 25 volunteers reached more than 2,000 high school students from Mandurah to Busselton and everywhere …